THE government has mandated that all digital health information systems be linked to the community unified system (UCS) under the Ministry of Health to improve service delivery at the grassroots level.

The UCS is designed to facilitate patient identification and enrollment across various community health services, with a particular focus on supporting community health workers (CHWs).

Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Godwin Mollel, issued the directive during the integration of the Afya-Tek mobile application-based referral system, which aims to enhance maternal, child, and adolescent health. The Afya-Tek system has been piloted in Kibaha District and Kibaha Town Council since 2019.

Dr Mollel emphasized the need to scale up Afya-Tek nationwide and instructed that, by January 15, all operational digital health systems must be harmonized with the UCS. This initiative aligns with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s directive to ensure that digital systems across the country are unified.

Afya-Tek has already proven effective in Kibaha, improving the continuity of care by linking primary healthcare providers. Dr. Angela Dillip, Director at Afya-Tek, highlighted that inadequate coordination between public sector CHWs, health facilities, and private sector Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets (ADDOs) contributes to preventable maternal and child deaths.

The platform was developed with input from users and uses open-source technology that integrates with government systems. It provides individualized decision support during client visits, guiding healthcare providers on next steps, including education, treatment, or referrals.

Between July 2020 and June 2023, Afya-Tek enrolled 241,000 individuals, including 7,557 pregnant women, 6,582 postpartum women, 45,900 children, and 25,700 adolescents. The system has facilitated over 626,000 home visits, resulting in 38,100 referrals to health facilities and 24,300 linkages to ADDOs. Notably, 89 percent of the referrals were attended to at health facilities.

Afya-Tek is Tanzania’s first digital health programme to integrate both public and private sector primary healthcare providers, showing great potential for improving maternal, child, and adolescent health. 

The system is now poised for national expansion and integration with the UCS for greater sustainability.

Boniface Magige, Pharmacy Council Registrar emphasized that integrating Afya-Tek into the UCS would streamline operational systems within the Ministry, saving time and improving overall coordination.

The initiative, led by the local NGO-Apotheker, was initially piloted in Kibaha District and Kibaha Town Council. 

Silvanus Ilomo, Acting Director for ICT at the Ministry of Health assured that the successful elements of Afya-Tek would be incorporated into the UCS to further enhance the effectiveness of digital health solutions.